Implantable ports are small devices placed under the skin to give medical teams reliable, long-term access to a patient’s bloodstream, commonly used for chemotherapy infusions, frequent blood draws, and transfusions. They consist of a port with a septum where the needle is inserted and a catheter that runs into a blood vessel. These devices have been in regular use for decades, and for many patients they work exactly as intended.
Lawsuits involving the Bard PowerPort and AngioDynamics SmartPort allege that certain of these devices were prone to serious failures, including the polyurethane material degrading and cracking over time, which can cause pieces of the device to break away, migrate, and cause severe internal injuries.
Injuries connected to these devices
Litigation involves patients who, while the device was implanted, suffered serious complications requiring hospitalization, including perforation of tissues, vessels, or organs, blood clots and DVT, catheter embolization, pulmonary embolism, hematoma, hemorrhaging, necrosis around the port site, organ damage, cardiac or pericardial tamponade, cardiac arrhythmia, serious infections and sepsis developing well after implantation, and obstruction of blood flow. In the most tragic cases, these complications proved fatal.
Who may have a claim
Patients who had a totally implantable venous access device placed, many patients do not know the specific brand, and that is okay, and who then suffered one of the serious complications above requiring hospitalization may have a claim. Part of what our team does during a free review is help identify which device you actually had through your medical records.
What compensation may address
Claims may seek compensation for hospitalization and medical costs, additional surgeries, pain and suffering, lost income during treatment and recovery, and wrongful death damages for families who lost a loved one.
Talk to us, at no cost
If you or a loved one was hospitalized due to a port complication, Pisanchyn Law Firm offers a free, confidential case review, and we do not charge a fee unless we win. Call 1-800-444-5309. This page is part of our mass tort litigation practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t know what brand my port was. Can I still find out if I qualify? Yes. Medical records typically identify the specific device, and helping you obtain and review those records is part of the case evaluation process.
What are the signs of a port complication? Serious complications in the litigation include infections, blood clots, device fracture or migration, and internal injuries, generally serious enough to require hospitalization.
Does an infection alone qualify? Serious infections developing more than 30 days after implantation, particularly those requiring hospitalization, are among the complications involved in this litigation.
This page is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal or medical advice. Do not stop or change any medical treatment based on this page; speak with your doctor about any device concerns. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
